Wreck of the Day
by Tears of Mercury
Summary: In one fell swoop, everything Darcy cared about was destroyed. When Jay Hogart bizarrely enough reenters her life, she makes it her mission to teach him a few lessons about compassion, patience, and tact. But not even Jay realized that he had a few things
1. Chapter 1

**Wreck of the Day**

Written by **Tears of Mercury**

**Pairing:** Jay/Darcy. Yes, I know, way out there and UC, but I love this UC to death and apologize for any OOC behavior on the parts of the leads.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Degrassi, or the title of this story, which is borrowed from Anna Nalick, who wrote the song of the same title.

**A/N:** This story takes place directly after EWAF, so yes, spoilers to all you Canadian fans. I'm going to suggest that if by some odd stroke of luck you actually enjoy this story that you put it on alert, because updates probably won't be that often due to my other multi-chapter project, a plethora of one-shots, and a nasty case of writer's block. I hope that you all enjoy, read, and review.

**Chapter One**

_Oh no, not again. _Darcy bolted into the nearest bathroom, flying into the stall closest to the door. She locked herself in and sank to the floor, breathing in deep, unsteady breaths. Tears flowed down her face, despite her nonstop blinking and the hand that stubbornly brushed away each new droplet that left her eyes. A pounding invaded her head and she could feel the skin around her eyes swelling. Involuntary gasps and whimpers started to leave her mouth as she buried her face in her hands. It was useless to fight it; why bother trying so hard? This was the way it had been ever since the whole thing Adams… and the break-up with Spinner.

Darcy wasn't sure exactly how long she'd been in the stall, only certain that British Literature must be well under way. She'd tried pulling herself together and getting up multiple times, but as soon as she got to the sink and saw her reflection she broke down again. _Why do girls have such a terrible time feeling better the moment they realize that their outward appearance isn't perfect?_ She was too exhausted to ponder the answer or try to recall some scripture piece or Bible study conversation that might relate to it. These days the Bible seemed to be the last thing on her mind, and on the rare occasions that she would look to it for answers she only seemed to find more questions. A fresh onslaught of tears came just as the door opened. She pulled herself even more tightly into a ball, somehow convinced that if she made herself smaller than the noises she was making would become softer. Whistling bounced off the walls, and heavy footsteps stopped right in front of her hiding place.

"Look, man, I get that someone just killed your mom and you're trying to fit all five stages of grief in before seventh period, but I really need to go, and you're monopolizing the only stall that isn't out of order." Darcy wasn't sure who the familiar voice belonged to, only that they'd talked before. What she was sure of was that the voice was decidedly _not_ female. Without taking the time to finger through her now-straggly hair or blow her nose she stood up and pushed the door open, not at all prepared for the sight that met her eyes.

"_Jay_? What are you doing back at Degrassi? And what are you doing in the girls' washroom?" Jay's lips twitched and he cleared his throat. "No, you know what? I don't really care. Just get out," she seethed as soon as she recovered her wits. "The last thing I need is the whole world knowing that captain of the spirit squad and Degrassi's poster girl for hypocrisy is cutting class to hide out in a dingy washroom stall."

"I hate to break it to you princess, but I plan on being around Degrassi for at least another nine months. And if anyone needs to leave, it's you; the washroom that you're hanging around in is actually for guys. Didn't you notice the urinals when you came in?" he inquired, smirking and leaning against the wall.

"I guess I didn't," she whispered, suddenly reduced to tears once again. _Of all the people for this to happen in front of…_ Jay frowned and folded his arms, completely at a loss for a suitable response or for the appropriate actions.

"That wasn't exactly the reaction that I was going for… look, whatever's going on, I'm sure it's not that serious." Darcy's shoulders shook and she leaned against the metal frame, shielding her face from view with her hands. The only person that she'd ever come close to breaking down in front of was her little sister Claire, and crying in front of someone as sarcastic, vulgar, and all-around aggravating as Jay left her feeling much too exposed for comfort. She almost jumped out of her skin when his calloused hand tentatively touched her shoulder. He brought his arm down hastily. "Is this about that internet dude that the police had to drag away from your house?" he asked her, his tone somewhat more gentle.

"No," she answered abruptly, turning away. "It's just like you said; nothing important in the least." The distinct feeling that her heart was being ripped in two left a burning, hollow pain in her chest.

"Okay, so could you please make your way to the nearest little girls' room, then? I did come in here for a reason," he retorted, unfolding his arms long enough to adjust his hat.

"I can't. I don't have a hall pass," she replied, shaking her head. "I assume that you at least got one of those before you skipped out of class? Not," Darcy stressed, "that it would be so shocking if you didn't." For a moment she felt guilty. This was how they usually interacted, though, and the fact that it helped her get her game face back up was just an added bonus. Jay pursed his lips and brought his arm up, leaning so close to Darcy's face that she didn't have any choice but make eye contact with him.

"Look, I don't know if you're so snippy because you missed your little friendship club meeting last week or because it's that time of the month, but you seriously need to chill out and just move along. Unless you feel like sticking around for the show, I'd advise you to be out of here in the next ten seconds." She moved away from the wall in record speed, shooting him a disgusted look before stalking out.

The halls were still empty, and for a moment she considered making the short walk to the nurse's office and complaining of a headache. The front door was too close by and too tempting to pass up, though, and in a matter of seconds she was outside, perched on the front steps and letting the faint breeze pull her hair away from her face. Her embarrassingly over-the-top crying fit had finally receded, but she still couldn't force herself to go back to class. Metal hinges squeaked slightly and she instantly stiffened. _It makes perfect sense; the only way that this day could get any worse is Mrs. Hatzilakos calling me to the office and giving me detention._

"I'm not quite sure that I understand; if you're going to skip class without actually leaving school, why sit in plain sight of everyone? Unless, of course, you're begging to be caught."

"How did you know that I would be out here?" she sighed, shoulders drooping in defeat. Jay seemed to have become the proverbial devil on her shoulder over the last year, and while she couldn't say that she enjoyed his company, it was better than dealing with the principal or one of her so-called "Christian" friends.

"Lucky guess," he answered, shrugging his shoulders. She ran a self-conscious hand through her hair, biting her lip and frowning. They had been sitting in an awkward silence for awhile when she decided for reasons that she didn't quite understand to tell him why she was such an emotional train wreck.

"Spinner and I broke up. I posted some stuff on the internet that I shouldn't have and I showed him… and then he found out that I'd let some other guy take the pictures and see them… I ruined everything. God, I was so _stupid_. What was I thinking? This isn't me. It's not what I do, how I act. I'm just this huge hypocrite now, and the worst part is, I've alienated so many people that there's no one left to help me pick up the pieces." Jay offered her a wry grin.

"It could be worse; you could've given a social disease to half the school and had the wrath of Emma Nelson inflicted on you for it," he pointed out, his lips twitching upwards in satisfaction when she let out a small, shaky laugh.

"I shouldn't find that funny, but I do," she admitted, bringing a hand up to her neck self-consciously. "I just… I wish that they told you first."

"Told you what?"

"That the minute you do what everyone is pressuring you to do, everybody runs in the opposite direction. Who knew?"

"I knew," Jay said, smirking lightly. "And besides, you can't say that _everyone_ runs. I'm still here." Darcy glanced at him, smirking slightly in amusement.

"Okay, so all of the people that matter run for the hills," she corrected.

"You wound me, Mother Theresa," Jay replied. She rolled her eyes and he raised his eyebrows, suddenly having the inexplicable urge to continue goading her until he was lodged under her skin. "Seriously, Darcy, you'll be fine. You aren't the type of girl that shouts about her sex appeal from the rooftops, anyway; and honestly, that suits you. Spinner was an emotional disaster by the time that you guys got together. I'm surprised you two lasted as long as you did."

"Me too," she muttered, twisting a stray lock of hair around her thumb.

"Hey, you'll find someone eventually. Ten years from now you'll be married to some brassy, over-the-top televangelist and I'll see you on my TV every Sunday morning at six." Dimples he hadn't realized she had appeared in her cheeks and she laughed.

"I had no idea that Jay Hogart watched completely fake church services every Sunday."

"Well, I have to get fresh material from somewhere," he responded breezily. They sat in a surprisingly comfortable silence for several moments.

"I should be getting back to class. I can't afford to miss anymore school, considering the fact that I've been mentally checking out for the past week and half," Darcy said, rising to her feet slowly and wrapping her arms around her stomach. "It's too bad; it's such a beautiful day."

"Thank the Lord."

"That wasn't up to your usual standards. Maybe you should spend some time working on those Jesus-centric comebacks," she suggested. She adjusted her purse on her shoulder before moving back toward the door.

"Hey, Darcy, why don't we get out of here? I know a couple of places." Jay cringed at his choice of words as soon as he made the offer; he tried to play it off with his usual cocky stance and suggestive half-smile.

"Do you really think that I have _that _little class?" she demanded, raising her eyebrows.

"That's not what I was getting at," Jay called after her, grinning when she raised her hand in a short, terse goodbye wave while striding toward the door. Darcy allowed herself a small smile as she made her way back towards class just as the bell sounded. She hadn't smiled since _it_ happened, and even though she knew that smiling because of Jay was the definition of irony, she couldn't help feeling the weight momentarily lift from her chest. Right now she was so glad to be feeling something other than guilt or pain that it didn't seem to matter that the person who had gotten her laughing was someone she shouldn't have been talking to in the first place.

-0-0-0-

"The lawn sale was a huge success. They raised over two thousand dollars for the Rwandan refugees. Pastor Clark said that…" Darcy stared down at her plate, moving the food around. For some reason, she couldn't get the earlier conversation with Jay out of her head. Claire had been bothering her and asking what was wrong all afternoon, and instead of her usual irritation, she'd only mustered a weak "Leave me alone, Claire. Nothing's wrong." In truth, Claire had been a saint compared to the way her parents had reacted after the Adams scare. It wasn't that they didn't have a perfectly good reason to be upset, but their guilting and crowding had just made everything worse.

"Darce? What do you think, huh? Do you want to go to that father-daughter banquet the church is having with Claire and me?" her father prodded, snapping her back to attention.

"Sure, dad; that would be great," she agreed by default. She wasn't sure how she would react to seeing the church friends that she'd been avoiding for so long; people were already talking, and coming up with a company line to get her through the evening was the last thing she wanted to waste her time doing. Being fake hadn't gotten her anywhere thus far.

"You should wear that dress that you wore to prom last year with Spinner; it looks really pretty on you, with or without the boyfriend," Claire said. Darcy smiled at the intent of the comment, however unbelievable she found it to be.

"I never liked that Mason boy, anyway. It was a mistake to date someone who wasn't a Christian," Darcy's mom interjected. "I'm sorry that you had to be hurt to learn your lesson, but missionary dating never works." Darcy bristled at the choice of words.

"Mom, I wasn't dating Spinner to "save" him. I dated him because I liked him. We were good together." The argument was greeted with silence, just like objections to what her mother deemed law always were. She pushed the chair away from the table, grabbing her plate and headed towards the kitchen. "I'll be in my room doing homework if anyone else feels the need to critique my dating habits," she muttered before storming towards her room.

_Sometimes, you just really need to throw something. This is most definitely one of those times. _The first acceptable object that her eyes fell upon was the Good Luck Carebear shoved beneath the corner of what had previously been the computer desk. Spinner had won the stuffed animal for her at a carnival they'd taken Claire to last year sometime during the spring; after the break-up, she'd wanted all reminders of him as far away as possible, but she still couldn't find it in her to stuff it into a corner of her closet. Without a second thought she snatched the bear up and threw it across the room as hard as she could, cringing as it strategically landed on Claire's nightstand and sent a small lamp flying to floor. Ironically, the shriek of the glass as it shattered to pieces calmed her frayed nerves. Footsteps thundered up the stairs, stopping right outside the door.

"Darcy, what happened?" The concerned voice came from her father. He was staring uncertainly at the scene in front of him, concern and anger flashing alternately in his eyes. It took her a few moments to find her voice, but when she did she spoke slowly and almost inaudibly.

"I'm sorry about the mess… I'll pick it up," she apologized. Mr. Edwards sighed and sent her a sympathetic look, walking over to sit on the bed opposite from hers.

"It's just a light bulb, sweetie. And I'm sorry about dinner tonight… you know that your mother is unmovable when she has her mind made up about something."

"So I must've picked up the ability to drive everyone away with my stubbornness and ignorance from her side of the family," Darcy mused, smiling sadly when she saw the furrow in her father's brow. "It's okay, dad… just stupid teenage stuff." The older man reached out and grasped one much smaller hand between both of his own.

"Look, I know that the past few weeks have been difficult for you. Despite what your mother may tell you, no one can ever be perfect. As your dad, though, I happen to think that you come as close as a human being can get." When she started to protest, he held up a hand until she shut her mouth. "Of course you're going to make stupid mistakes. I just hope that you don't think that one failed relationship with a boy who doesn't realize everything that he's missing out on in you is going to make you stop smiling for good."

"Dad, that's really sweet. Thank you… for being here for me. I know that getting laid off has been awful for you, and with everything I've put you through these past couple weeks, it means a lot to me to know that you can still stand to look at me," she confessed.

"Where else would I look? You're the prettiest thing in sight," he replied with wink, standing slowly. "Well, you probably don't want your dear old dad hanging around and depriving you of any privacy your mother's left you with. Feel better soon, honey." He leaned in to kiss her lightly on the forehead and she closed her eyes.

After he left she snapped off the overhead light switch and laid down on her bed, curling onto her side and looking into out the window. Scenes of her relationship with Spinner played out before her eyes: him walking her to the front door after a date and kissing her goodbye; and innocent kiss at the curb in his car that was interrupted by her mother; a tickle war on the front porch when they were supposed to be working on their homework. A tear lodged in the bridge of her nose, and her eyes slid shut when she couldn't take the constant reminders of her first love that surrounded her. Her hand slid out from under the weight of her body, clutching at the sheets. It was only hours later when a tiny, pudgy hand took hold of hers and the mattress groaned to accommodate the weight of a second, much smaller body that she was finally able to get to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** -gasp- What is this? Me updating? It must be the apocalypse! However, as I'm sure you'll find, this chapter is basically one long run-on sentence. However, it is eight pages long, so maybe that counts for something? My apologies for the wait (if you're still reading this story, that is). Enjoy.

"Darcy, I need you to run to the grocery store for me after school," Mrs. Edwards said. Darcy looked up from the scrambled eggs she'd been pushing around her plate and shook her head.

"Mom, I can't. Spirit squad practice is this afternoon; besides, I don't have a car." Her mother set down the paper she'd been reading and sighed.

"It's not that far from Degrassi; besides, you know that your father needs the car to go to that interview today," she reminded, taking a sip of orange juice. "This layoff has been doing a number on our finances, and unless we get some form of income sooner or later, we're going to have to file for unemployment." A voice in the back of her head goaded her on, telling her to resist until her mother got _really_ mad, but when she saw her father coming down the stairs, tugging at his tie nervously, she pasted on a smile instead. He didn't deserve that from her, not today.

"Sure, mom. Do you have a list?" Her mother nodded, moving to the counter and taking out a piece of paper and a large stack of coupons. Darcy's jaw slackened as her mother explained what coupon was for what; which ones she needed to combine to get the best deal, and which ones to throw out if she saw a sale on a better brand. "How am I supposed to remember all of this? More importantly, how am I supposed to fit all of these in my purse?" she demanded, moving to the trash can and throwing out her uneaten breakfast. She grabbed the backpack sitting by the door and raised her voice so it could be heard up the stairs. "Claire! We need to get going now if we're going to make it on time for your bus stop!" The younger girl raced down the stairs in the plaid uniform for her private all-girls school.

"Sorry! I forgot to finish my math homework last night," Claire explained sheepishly, adjusting the backpack straps on her shoulders and kissing their father on the cheek. She quickly made her way to Darcy's post at the front door. As they walked to school, Claire struggled to keep up with her older sister's clipped pace, asking occasional questions and greeted only with grunts or monosyllabic answers. She finally stopped in her tracks. "Darce?" Her older sister repressed a sigh as she turned around.

"What is it, Claire? You're going to be late, and unless you feel like squeezing into my locker all day, you'll have to go back home and beg a ride off of dad," Darcy said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Why do you and mom hate each other so much?" Claire inquired. She squinted her eyes, readjusting the glasses that had slipped from the bridge of her nose.

"We don't _hate_ each other," Darcy sighed, twisting a strand of her hair around her fingers. "It's just… mom and I have different opinions about a lot of things; like her wanting me to stay in Friendship Club. You'll understand when you're older," she fumbled, feeling guilty for using the pat answer that she'd hated so much when she was younger. Claire ran to catch up, giggling slightly.

"Remember when Friendship Club met at our house and Linus prayed before the Bible study? He was trying way too hard to sound like Pastor." Darcy let loose an unladylike snort, covering her mouth with her hand quickly. Laughter trickled out, and she shook her head slightly.

"Linus does tend to get rather wordy when the Spirit moves him," she wryly noted. In truth, Linus was about as spiritual as a church pew for all Darcy was concerned, but saying as much to her younger sister would undoubtedly get her in trouble when the words got back to their mother.

"Well, I guess I'll see you this afternoon," Claire replied, coming to a halt and waving as Darcy rounded the corner.

She walked on in silence for a few minutes, starting when the driver of a red civic honked the horn and pulled up to the curb. "Hey Sister, do you want a ride?" Jay called, grinning as he stuck his head out the window. A vehement 'no' was poised to tumble out of Darcy's mouth but a quick glance at her watch showed her that she didn't have the time to argue, much less walk the rest of the way to school. Still…

"No snide remarks about God or detours to your druggie hangouts?" She asked, narrowing her eyes and biting her lip. He held up his hands in defeat.

"Only if you promise to insult me all the way there," he bargained, smirking as she rounded the front of the car and opened the passenger side door.

"Whose body did you burn in here?" Darcy choked, waving a hand in front of her nose.

"Oh, that… I was working on giving the engine some more horsepower, and I kind of ran into a roadblock," he replied sheepishly, reaching a hand out and turning on the radio. As the bass of a rap song riddled with expletives came to life she settled in, allowing herself a cringe at one particularly lewd turn of phrase.

"Interesting music choice," she commented. Her brow was puckered, the corners of her mouth turned down in distaste.

"Well, someone has to blast lyrics demeaning women everywhere and telling us to screw the man, and really, who better than a sexist pig like me?" he retorted, shaking his head when he looked over at her. "Hypocrisy doesn't compliment you."

"And playing the devil-may-care bad boy who doesn't take any crap from people doesn't suit you either," she commented, leaning her head closer to the window. On a whim, she decided to go even further in the hopes that she might hit a nerve. "I think you're a lot nicer than you want people to think you are."

"At least I'm not obsessed with making sure that people think I'm perfect." Darcy turned to face him, hair swishing over her shoulders.

"That is so far from the truth…" when she drifted off, his lips turned up in that half-smile she had always loathed. He looked ready to do a victory lap.

"It's so far from the truth that you can't even think up one of your usual snappy retorts? Wow, I must have really struck gold," he said, pulling into the school and putting the car in park. "Normally I'd charge fare, but since you've been entertaining I think I can let it slide." It took a tremendous amount of effort to keep from rolling her eyes, but as she got out from the car, shutting the door and leaning on the opening window frame, she felt compelled to stay a moment longer.

"Thanks… for the ride, not the insults," she added quickly, running her hand along the mirror on her side of the car. "How did you get back into Degrassi in the first place?" Jay's lips quirked again and he raised his eyebrows.

"Even common criminals have to get an education. Besides, after letting Gavin back into the system, I think that Hatzilakos has convinced herself that she can save me from myself," he replied.

"Well, there's certainly plenty to save you from," she retorted, turning toward the front of the building.

"Should I let her down easy and tell her that you've decided to take over the job?" he called after her. The ever-present flirtatious tone in his voice sent a shiver down her spine so briefly she almost didn't catch it. She felt his eyes boring into her.

"Jay, not even I could save you," she said, but her voice wasn't clear and the last-minute rush of students milling around the front steps was so noisy that she had no way of knowing if he'd heard her.

-0-0-0-

The minute she walked into the cafeteria she made a beeline for the vending machine. Between Spinner's group of friends holding court front and center and Kim's probing eyes following her through the lunch line, no other place was safe. The cheerleaders, of course, would be more than happy to let her sit with them; but she'd already compiled enough of Heather Sinclair's rumors and Manny Santos' snide remarks to last her a lifetime. After taking a moment to ponder the fundamental differences between Coke and Diet Pepsi she slid a few coins into the machine and selected the former. A hand on her arm jolted her back into the hubbub. "You haven't been sitting with us lately," Kim said quietly, her dark eyes searching Darcy's. "You haven't been showing up to friendship club, either."

"I fail to see how that's your concern. I can't believe that you're still sitting at their table after you let that little secret of yours slip." The way Kim's face fell was almost enough to make Darcy feel guilty.

"Look, I told you that in confidence. Linus and I have both confessed our sins and sought forgiveness. We even ended our relationship. I don't see how you can hold this against me," she said, reaching again for Darcy's arm. "I never said I was perfect." Darcy turned away and started for the outdoor quad.

"That's the way it sounded when you and Linus headed the campaign against homosexuality. Or what about how you made my online history a discussion for all of friendship club and let Linus hold me up like an example? I have never felt so humiliated in my whole entire life, Kim," she snarled. Just the memory of the day pricked her eyes with wetness. The other girl crossed her arms awkwardly and looked down.

"It wasn't my idea, Darcy."

"It never is. The problem is that you just let him walk all over you," Darcy said, running both hands through her hair. "Everything I believed about friendship club, about church, about Christians in general, has just been wasting away for a long time now. At first I made myself believe that it was my fault, but now – now I don't know anymore." She paused for a moment and looked at Kim, asking for some silent approval that would make anything less than utter blind faith acceptable. She found only confusion. "I have to get out of this prison. I'm just being suffocated, and… and the last person that can help me is Linus and the last thing I feel like doing is joining hands with a bunch of hypocrites and being one myself."

"Only you could say that and still come off as holier-than-thou," Kim spat out, shaking her head back and forth. "I don't know what happened to you this summer, and in all honestly I don't want to know. When Invasion of the Body-Snatchers ends and you're normal again, give me a call." It was a long moment before Darcy realized that she wasn't shaking in anger but in result of nerves.

If there was an invisible line that her parents, her youth group, her conscience had drawn, she'd just jumped across without batting an eye.

-0-0-0-

Jay groaned and hit the algebra book with his fist. "Piece of shit," he muttered under his breath, narrowing his eyes when Alex burst into laughter.

"Jay, abusing the textbook isn't going to convince your teacher to give you a passing grade," she said sensibly. It was easy enough for her to say; her GPA was a sickening 3.9 and her teachers were singing her praises right and left. Jay, stuck in Algebra II for what would be his second go at a junior year, wasn't nearly as well-liked; not that the idea of being a teacher's pet particularly appealed to him, anyway.

"Well, do you have any other advice? I'd hire your girlfriend to tutor me, but I might just make her start playing for my team again. You seem to have a penchant for those bicurious ones," he replied. His upper lip curled as he tried to concentrate on the mass of numbers and variables on the page. They blurred together in spite of his best efforts. "Damn it," he said, hitting the book again.

"Look, what is up with you? You're not usually the poster child for tolerance, but between the lesbian comments and the jabs about my study habits you're really outdoing yourself today," Alex remarked, her brow furrowed in something uncomfortably close to worry. He ran his finger along the edge of the page. How the hell was he supposed to explain being hurt by someone as harmless and self righteous as Darcy Edwards? _That's not how you saw her yesterday…_It was true; the banter had been fast-paced and her eyes had reflected their usual show of long-suffering. But yesterday something had shifted. Yesterday she had looked a hell of a lot more like a little girl stranded without her teddy bear than a fierce, independent cheerleading captain. Alex's voice took on a cautious edge as she said, "I saw Darcy get out of your car this morning. Please tell me you're not about to pull another Emma Nelson, Jay." He stiffened at the mention of his best friend's girlfriend. He considered that tryst one of his finer accomplishments, although it wasn't nearly worth her particular brand of public humiliation and the loss of Alex.

"I passed her on my way to school. She was a mess yesterday, so I thought I'd be _nice_ and offer her a ride," he bit out. "So shoot me."

"I'm more inclined to have a long talk with Spinner," Alex answered. "Ever since Sean got put away you've been keyed up. If you have to do something stupid like make a few deals in the ravine to get the tension out, go ahead. I don't want to see you throwing your second chance away, though." Jay eyed her quizzically.

"And how does going out with a child of the most high God equate with throwing my life away?"

"Peter seems to have his eye on her," she replied, rolling her eyes, "And as we all know, Peter gets what Peter wants or someone with a lower GPA and a worse track record gets slammed." His genuine dislike for the boy mixed with the mental image of Peter with his paws all over the brown-haired girl made a growl rise in Jay's throat. He'd never claimed to be a good guy, but stooping to the level of voyeurism that little bitch thrived at or fucking up innocent peoples' lives was below even him. Darcy might be too reserved for his taste, but she was innocent goddamnit. Watching that wash away from one more person he knew was too harsh a thought to stomach.

"Well, you don't have anything to worry about, mom," he replied with a smile. "I have a feeling Darcy wouldn't have me if I were the last man on earth." She eyed him knowingly for a moment, deciding not to argue the point. Knowing that she'd seen a small, satisfied smile on the younger girl's lips that morning would only encourage him.

-0-0-0-

"So did you really drive to school with him?" Darcy's eyes widened.

"Where did you hear that?" she gritted through her teeth. Her placid smile remained planted firmly in place as she led the squad on their warm-up stretches.

"Oh, you could say that the whole school is buzzing with the news. It's just a little odd, don't you think? First you go after an estranged ex popular, then you go for Emma Nelson's nerdy leftovers, and _now_ you have your eye on a guy who's illegal in every sense of the word?" Chante asked, raising her eyebrows. Something in her tone made Darcy's blood pressure rise.

"I was never into Peter. God, Chante, he's a decent cheerleader and I made the mistake of letting him near me with a camera. And you know better than to talk to me about Spinner," she reminded, walking off to the bleachers as Manny introduced the squad to a new routine. Chante shrugged.

"You don't have to convince me. Just don't let it affect your technique, okay? You've seemed a little off kilter already this season, and if you're not careful you could have a mutiny on your hands."

"It wouldn't be the first time a cheerleading captain was impeached by force," Darcy grumbled, looking at her co-captain as she led the squad in a series of jumps and twists. Turning her attention back to the girl at her side she forced a reluctant smile. "There's nothing to worry about, okay? I'm not going to drag the spirit squad's reputation through the mud any further than I already have."

Chante raised a skeptical eyebrow before shrugging and joining the rest of the girls. Darcy allowed herself a heavy sigh before she moved to join them.

The fist that had been squeezing her heart for the last forty minutes gave another flex for good measure, and she found moisture filling her eyes. _Stop it, Darcy,_ she instructed herself silently. _This is getting you nowhere. Focus on the routine, focus on the cheer, focus on your shoelaces if you need to; just don't break down in front of the school's biggest group of gossips._

"Are you planning on joining us today?" Heather called out, hand planted firmly on her hip. Darcy bit back a snarl and walked over briskly.

"Okay, guys, now that Manny has shown you some of the choreography for our new routine, I think it's time we started focusing on our cheers for tomorrow's soccer game. We're facing our rivals, and we really need to make sure that we have_ all_ the words memorized." She glared pointedly at a sophomore alternate who had slipped up and substituted an expletive for "hit" at the last game.

The sound of a door opening caught her attention and she felt her stomach clench at the sight of Peter Stone, Derek, and Danny sauntering up to them. "You called?" Danny inquired, giving Manny a suggestive wink before joining the formation.

"What is going on here?" Darcy asked, hands on her hips as she did her best to regain control of the practice.

"Well, it's simple really," Peter answered with a smirk, "You said we were part of your competition routines and half time programs, and Manny said you would need us today."

"You must have savored hearing that, seeing as no woman in her right mind would ever say she needed you for any other reason," she bit out petulantly. The sadistic grin slipped from his face. Darcy took a deep breath and counted to three, reminding herself that personal issues aside, she did need the three of them. "Okay, have you guys been practicing the lifts Manny taught you?" At their nods she began talking rapidly. "In that case, I need Peter beside Amanda, Danny by Chante, and Derek, you take Heather. We need to get these tosses down quickly, and they need to be clean. The judging is getting a lot tighter this year, and if we have any hope of making it to the regional competition we need to step up our game."

"Tell us something we haven't heard a thousand times," someone muttered, but before Darcy could identify the dissenter a loud screeching noise came from the side door.

"I promise you that I didn't take it! I have absolutely no desire to retake Algebra II," JT protested, the large yellow mascot head tipping precariously in his arms. A seething Jay Hogart followed twenty feet behind him.

"That's kind of hard to believe, considering that you're the last person who left study hall before me!" His blue eyes flashed and he practically emitted steam.

"Maybe you just lost it," JT suggested, finally turning around, "you know, that thing that happens when an object gets misplaced and no one's stolen it? I know it's an unusual occurrence in your life, but it happens quite a bit to most of us." Darcy had a sinking feeling that there was no way this could end well.

"What's going on?" Manny called, heading over to join the two. Darcy followed the older girl quickly, smirking against her will when Jay turned the whole force of his derision on Manny.

"As it so happens, my book magically disappeared around the time Penny here scurried out of study hall, and when I very politely asked him if he had any idea where it had gotten to he started running in the other direction."

"The name 'Penny' was decided upon back when the mascot was still a girl!" JT groaned, running a hand over his damp hair.

"I don't think that he has your book, Jay. Why don't you try checking with Mr. Simpson? Media Immersion is next door to Mrs. Parker's, and she usually passes on text books to him so people can claim them during his classes," she suggested softly. The ruffled older boy looked at her, and for a moment she could have sworn his expression softened fractionally. His next reply was ready before she had a chance to brush off the notion.

"I'm sorry, which of the Ten Commandments am I breaking here?"

"Are you sure you didn't accidentally shove that math book up your butt?" she retorted. For a moment they engaged in a silent stand-off; then he stalked out of the gym without another word.

"What a jerk," Manny mumbled, turning to JT. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, the only thing hurt is my already fragile ego," JT sighed. "Thanks for saving my butt out there," he said to Darcy, avoiding her eyes. She flinched at the unintentional rudeness; she knew that he hadn't forgiven her for kicking his girlfriend off the squad. Rightfully, it seemed to her.

"That's okay," she replied, suddenly uncomfortable. "Manny, can you take it from here? There's only a half hour left to practice, and my mom needed me to pick up some stuff at the store…" she drifted off. Manny gave a small nod and she immediately moved to the bleachers to collect her duffel bag and water bottle. _This was only a slightly monumental waste of time._

When she got through the Plexiglas doors leading to the parking lot she allowed herself a frustrated groan. "Darcy?"

She looked up at the sound of Spinner's voice and saw him walking toward her. His brow was creased endearingly, and she remembered the many times she'd pressed her finger to his forehead to smooth the exact same frown. This time she couldn't stop the tears even with warning. "Are you okay?" he asked. The pain was too close to the surface to internalize.

"Why don't you just read my MyRoom page and find out? That's what everyone else is doing, isn't it?" She brushed past him before he had a chance to reply. Against her better judgment she silently pleaded with him to run after her, call her name; anything to show he cared. The only thing she heard leaving the school was a solitary pair of feet crossing the pavement.


End file.
